Our Beasts Within
by ItachisMainGirl
Summary: After the departure of Gin Ichimaru the Head Captain calls on retired captain Akane Takenouchi to take back her old position, but with ghosts of her past haunting her, how will she manage it? Ironically enough, she meets the one person exactly like her to help get her through this rough patch along with a few other friends, new and old. (Reboot!)
1. Chapter 1

It was her first day back to work since being reinstated as the captain of squad three, and she was overwhelmed by her day's schedule. First thing in the morning she had her first captain's meeting, which no one looked forward to. After that she would get reacquainted with her old office before finally meeting the new squad three. As she was on her way to face the new captains she ran into her good friend of many years, and captain of squad four, Retsu Unohana. "Well good morning Captain Takenouchi" she greeted with a soft smile. "What's with the formalities, Retsu? You know I can't stand them." "Pardon my good manners then, Akane. How does it feel to be one of us again?" "It's weird, you know? I mean everything's different, I don't have any of my old squad, not to mention I need to talk to the old man about rebuilding it." "You were a great captain before you left, I'm sure he wouldn't have a problem letting you do as you wish with your squad."

As the two captains reached their destination Retsu walked through the doors while Akane stopped outside the door to prepare herself for the ridicule that was soon to come. With one last deep breath she followed her friend through the door. As she entered she noticed that she was the last of the captains to arrive. "How nice of you to finally join us, Akane. For those of you who are unaware of our guest, I introduce to you the new captain of squad three, Captain Akane Takenouchi." After the head captain introduced her she quickly found her place across from her friend. While ignoring what the old man had to say, she looked around to other captains. In their faces she saw friends of old mixed with new, confused ones. Among these faces she received a smile from another old friend, Captain Kyoraku, and another from Captain Ukitake. As she smiled back at him she couldn't help but wonder if things between them would go back to the way they were before she left. Before she made her great escape from the Soul Society, Akane and Jushiro Ukitake had been dating for a few years.

As Akane was lost in her thoughts the meeting ended and Jushiro came over to her. "Hello Akane, it's been quite a while. It's nice to have you back. Would you like to get a drink or dinner or something later?" "As nice as that sounds, I've got a full day ahead of me." Just as Jushiro was about to continue, the head captain interrupted. "It's good to see you're readjusting well, Captain Takenouchi. I have considered your proposition and we will discuss it later this week." "Yes sir, thank you." The head captain merely nodded and walked out of the room."If you've got things to do then perhaps I could at least walk you back to your barracks?" offered Jushiro. "Yeah, that sounds nice" replied Akane.

The two walked in something of an awkward silence. The two captains were both lost in thought, wondering if things could be the same after being apart for over one hundred years. Akane was about to speak when someone came up to her. "Hey you, you're the new captain, right?" "That I am. From your haori you're obviously a captain yourself. Who are you?" "I'm the captain of squad eleven, Kenpachi Zaraki. I wanna fight you." "Are you sure about that? I wouldn't another captain to get hurt so badly for such an unnecessary reason." "That's some big talk for a woman. You sure you can back it up?" "I can and I will, some other time." Akane promised as she walked past him, placing her hand on his shoulder and letting out a subtle spiritual pressure from only her fingertips. She left the captain dumbfounded as she and Jushiro continued on their way back to her barracks.

They finally arrived and stopped before the door. "Well this is me" "Maybe we could catch up some other time soon. Let me know, okay?" Jushiro leaned closer, his warm breath in her ear."I missed you" he whispered before kissing her on the cheek. He turned to leave while waving at the new captain who was just standing there, holding her cheek. 'Did he really just do that? ' She pondered on it for a few minutes before walking through the door, only to be greeted by her new lieutenant. "Hello Captain! I am your lieutenant, Izuru Kira. It's my pleasure to work under you" he greeted with a bow. "It's nice to meet you Izuru. I'm you're new captain, Akane Takenouchi. So what is there for me to do around here today?" "Actually Captain, I've taken it upon myself to get today's work done. This way we've got all afternoon so that I can show you around." "That's very sweet of you Izuru, but I believe I can find my way around." "Oh, okay, if you insist. In that case, the squad has prepared a big welcome dinner for you tonight. It should be ready around five." "Thank you Izuru, I'll be there."

After Izuru left, the new captain got bored fast. She decided to roam around the barracks and see how much they had changed. To her pleasant surprise most things remained unchanged. Seeing this, she had to investigate her favorite napping corner. As she arrived, everything was as it was when she left over a hundred years ago. The trees were filled with sakura blossoms, the perfect shade for a nap. As she sat down beneath the most shaded tree sleep overcame her. Hours later she was awoken by two young male soul reapers. "Uh, miss? What are you doing sleeping out here?" "Huh? What time is it?" "It's about 4:30. Now I do insist ma'am, what are you doing sleeping out here?" "Damn I'm gonna be late! I'll see you guys later!" With that the captain rushed off to the dining hall where Izuru said there would be a dinner in her honor.

Akane arrived at her destination with only a few seconds to spare, attracting much attention when she accidentally slammed the door open. Looking rather embarrassed she casually walked up to the captain's seat. "Sorry about the noise everyone" She took her seat as Izuru, who was seated to her right, stood. "If I could have everyone's attention please, I'd like to introduce our new captain, Akane Takenouchi." The new captain continued to look embarrassed as everyone stared at her. As soon as Izuru returned to his seat dinner was served. Gossip filled the air about the new captain, mostly from the men. She heard comments such as "Seriously, a female captain?" and "I'd do her" or her personal favorite "What do you think she had to do to become a captain?" As Akane ate she looked around the room, taking in all the new faces. One thing she noticed was how few girls were in there, and most sat in a small group in the corner of the room. 'Now this just won't do.' She thought as she got up to personally introduce herself to them, which only earned her more stares and gossip from the men.

"Hello there. I'm Captain Takenouchi it's nice to meet you all." Akane said with a smile while sitting in an empty seat on the end. They all looked at her awestruck. None of them could believe that the new captain was actually reaching out to them, or that she was so beautiful and obviously strong. "It's an honor to have you acknowledging us captain. I'm seventh seat Saya Izumi, and these are my friends, eleventh seat Mai Otonashi and Emmiko Takaishi." "Well it's nice to know that the few girls in this squad are strong at least." "That we are captain" spoke Mai, finally breaking her silence. The girls talked while finishing their dinner. Akane could tell that she was going to like them. While they sat awaiting dessert the captain noticed a very familiar straw hat peaking in the door. "Please excuse me ladies, it was very nice talking to you all. I'll see you soon." She walked outside the door and sure enough, there was none other than Shunsui Kyoraku waiting for her. "Feel like a drink?" "Well, since you're buying" "You never cease to cheat me out of my money."

"It's good to have you back Akane." "It's good to be back." The two captains shared in small talk while enjoying their sake. "Anything good happen while I was gone?" "Not a thing." "I see. Things sure have changed, people I mean. What happened to him?" "That's a long story for a different day. You know, Jushiro's missed you. It seems like he can't go a month without talking about you." "What should I do about him Shunsui? It's been over a hundred years since we were together, people change. I've changed." "Just talk to him. And please do it soon. I don't want to be dragged into the middle of this again." Akane and Shunsui had always been drinking partners, and occasionally sex partners. When he had told her for the first time that Jushiro liked her she didn't know what to say. She kept freaking out, asking for his opinion multiple times on what to do about it while he had Jushiro in his other ear constantly asking his friend what the female said about him. It put the man in a very difficult place. It's true that the man was his oldest and dearest friend, but the woman would always hold a special place in his heart as a sort of sister with benefits. "That was one of the reasons why I hesitated taking this job." "I'm sure you two will figure something out. You're smart, you always do." "I hope you're right." "So are you ever going to tell me why you left in the first place?" "I'll tell you my long story when you tell me yours." "Deal"

With these last words the two captains finished their drinks and headed towards their respective barracks. Akane had a lot to think about in preparation for the upcoming events the week would bring. She desperately hoped that the head captain would bring the good news of reinstating her specialty squad. It's too bad that there were more pressing issues on her mind. After a hundred years she questioned her feelings for Jushiro, if she had any. She had changed immensely within that time, both in personality and strength. She was already one of the strongest soul reapers she knew, there were few who could defeat her, but during her time in the World of the Living she trained and became even stronger. She also had plenty of time to think. It's true that she had loved Jushiro when she left, but as time went by she realized that there were other types of men more suited to her lifestyle. Men with more muscled who weren't so fragile. That's what she loved about him. The one man who had enough of her heart that when he rejected her, she shattered. She had carried this burden with her ever since, unable to fill the hole with anyone else, not even Jushiro. It finally became too much, trying to love Jushiro while he still had her heart, so she left. Being back in the Soul Society brought back so many memories. Akane couldn't take these thoughts anymore and threw the glass vase on the table next to her across the room screaming so hard that tears were forced from her eyes. Feelings just make things too damn complicated!

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a knock on the door. "Who is it?" she answered while swiftly trying to wipe away the tears. "It's Saya Izumi. I heard screaming and came to make sure you were alright." Akane walked to the door, opening it. "Thank you, but I'm fine" she assured the girl with a fake smile. "You're lying. You're eyes are all red, like you've been crying. What's going on captain?" "It's nothing you don't need to worry about me. I just need some sleep." The captain received a suspicious look from the girl who finally surrendered and gave the woman a nod before walking away. Akane couldn't help but wonder if this was only her first night as captain, how would she possibly live through the rest? With this thought the captain cleaned up the vase and got a drink of water before going to bed.


	2. Chapter 2

Akane awoke the next morning around 5 am. Regardless of it only being her second day back as captain, she still felt the need to train. She dressed in her normal shihakusho which had the regular bottoms, but the top was cut so that her midriff was showing, and instead of sleeves it only had thin straps, both helped accentuate her well gifted chest. Another unique feature of her uniform was that she was the only soul reaper who could bear to wear heels as opposed to the standard sandals. She didn't feel the need to take her captain's haori as it would only get in the way, so it remained behind on the bed. As she walked to her favorite training spot just outside the barracks she noticed that there weren't many people up that early. The few that she did pass stopped and greeted their new captain.

She finally reached the small cave which had always been her preferred training grounds over those in the division barracks. She found that even before when she was a captain, her zanpakuto was too dangerous to train around weaker soul reapers. It was a relief though, as she hadn't been able to train to her greatest ability in the World of the Living. Akane took her place before a series of stalactites which hung from the ceiling. She drew her zanpakuto and was about to attack when she heard a noise near the cave entrance, and witnessed a slight movement to match it. "Who's there?" the captain questioned as a smaller woman with long black hair and bright blue eyes. "Saya, what are you doing here?" "I could ask you the same question captain. I came out here to train with my zanpakuto." "Then perhaps you would like a sparring partner. Come on, I'll go easy on you." Saya had to think about it for a moment before she finally agreed.

"Ready?" taunted the captain who stood across from her subordinate. Saya drew her zanpakuto and nodded at her captain while taking a blade of her dual sword in each hand, their ends connected by a chain. Saya ran at her captain and Akane blocked both of her blades with her single one. "You're strong, but you're going to have to do better than that if want to be a match for me." Saya only forced her blades harder upon her captain's when she called out, "Burn, Tsuin Honoo!" Both of Saya's blades erupted in flames, causing her captain to jump back. With her flaming blades connected, Saya threw one at her captain when she heard, "Lash out, Ketsueki Ojo!" Akane's zanpakuto transformed in to a blood red whip made of steel and was sent to wrap around her subordinate's blade, stopping it in its tracks. "You're not half bad. Are you sure you're just a seventh seat?" Saya smirked and pulled back on her blade, causing her captain's stance to give. She took this opportunity to charge at her captain once more, only to be blocked once more by her retracting whip. "That's enough, Saya. If you would excuse me, I must go prepare for my day's duties." Saya had to admit, she was starting to see why there were so many rumors about this woman. She decided in this moment that she would follow this woman to the end.

The captain sheathed her weapon and returned to her quarters. She brushed through her waist length fiery red locks and returned them to the chopsticks that held them in place in a bun. She took one last look in the mirror to make sure she looked presentable before she grabbed her haori off the bed and headed towards the dining hall. There she received many of the same looks as did the night before. The captain simply shrugged them off and smiled at her new subordinates as she walked by. She took her place next to Izuru and decided on a light breakfast. After last night's thoughts had haunted her as she slept she decided that she should take today to talk with Jushiro and didn't know how much food she could keep down during that conversation. While picking through her food a hell butterfly appeared before her. It was from the head captain, stating that he could meet with her in an hour.

After replying to the message saying she would be there she got up and walked out the door with the intension of slowly making her way to the first division. These were her initial plans, however, they changed when she ran into a couple familiar faces from the previous night. "Good morning captain" they greeted with a bow. "Good morning. Mai and Emmiko wasn't it?" "Yes captain" replied a shy Emmiko in a quiet voice. Emmiko was a shorter woman with emerald green eyes and short dark brown hair. Mai it seemed was the complete opposite. She was fairly taller with golden hair and cerulean colored eyes to compliment it. "And what are you two up to on such a beautiful morning?" Just as Mai was about to answer Saya came running up to them. "Hey guys, sorry I'm late." "Ah Saya, and how are you feeling after this morning?" "I'm doing just fine captain, thank you." "That's good to hear. Most people don't leave without a few deep gashes." "Saya, what is Captain Takenouchi talking about?" Mai interrupted. "We had a small sparring match this morning. Saya did very well for someone of her level. I'd love to stay and talk, but I must be going as the head captain is expecting me soon. Take care." With that the captain left the girls in the hall with a smile, continuing on her way to the first division barracks.

Captain Takenouchi arrived at the division one barracks and headed for the head captain's office. Just as she was about to knock on the door it opened, the man behind it calling her inside. She entered the room to find the old man behind his desk. "Ah, Captain Takenouchi, please, have a seat" he greeted while offering her a chair in front of him. "Now Akane, explain to me what exactly it is that you would like to do with your division." "Well sir, I was hoping to reinstate its old specialties, to make excellent captains for one, the other condition being to ensure that we women get proper and fair training by reverting it to an all female division." "You do realize that this is asking for quite a lot? If I agree to this there would be almost a whole division needing relocated, not to mention all the women who would wish to participate in this program. As for the captain training, I will allow you to continue it. Over your years of leading this program you have trained many great captains." "I understand sir, but I feel that my all female division benefitted many soul reapers before. A lot of the female soul reapers feel quite intimidated and overwhelmed by their male counterparts. The purpose of my division is to allow them to grow and hone their skills in a more comfortable environment. Previous results show that my subordinates were a great deal more powerful than those in other divisions." The head captain pondered this proposal for a moment. "I do not deny those results, Akane. Only because I have the utmost respect for you will I allow this, though there is one condition." "And what might that be sir?" "Before I begin relocating officers you will hold a meeting with all female soul reapers under lieutenant rank and I want a list of all who wish to participate." "Yes sir." "You have one month to get this list to me. You are dismissed." With a respectful bow the third division captain took her leave.

Outside the door Akane found her friend Captain Unohana waiting for her. "So how did it go?" "It went pretty great, actually. He's reinstating the captain program as well as my all female division, but only if enough interests are sparked." "That shouldn't be too hard. I've heard plenty of women discuss how unfair it is to have them compete with so many men. I myself have a few lower ranked officers who aren't quite cut out for healing, they might benefit from your leadership. I shall speak with them about it later." "Thanks Retsu, I really appreciate it. I just have to get through today first. I've been back in the Seireitei for almost a month and I still haven't figured out what to do about Jushiro. I think I still have feelings for him, but I've been gone so long. I'm not the same person I was." "Maybe if you simply talk things out you will be able to find some common ground to start a new relationship. You never know until you try." Captain Unohana reassured her friend with a comforting smile. "I guess you're right. So what's the deal with this new Kenpachi guy?" "Oh it's the same with him as it has been with all of the other males. He's constantly fighting, trying to find someone who can satisfy his blood thirst. You know how it is." "The feeling of not being able to hold back against your opponent, it's the rarest and intoxicating feeling in the world." The two captains exchanged a look that only the most bloodthirsty animals in the world would know before changing them to smiles while sating their goodbyes.

Akane slowly walked towards the thirteenth division barracks in search of her previous lover. Thoughts of what she would say swam through her head until she ran into someone due to her distracted state. "Akane, what are you doing here?" The addressed girl looked up to find that the person she had bumped into was indeed the man she came to find, Jushiro Ukitake. "Hello Jushiro. I actually came here to talk to you. Is there somewhere private we can go?" "We could go to my quarters, they're not far from here." "Could we maybe go somewhere else, what about your office?" "Just follow me." The white haired captain said with a soft smile. As always with the two captains there was a rather awkward silence on the way to their destination.

As they reached the office Jushiro took his seat while Akane took one across from him. "So what was it you wanted to talk about Akane?" "Well, it's about us. We've been separated for so long that I'm just not sure where we stand right now. Do we try to continue what we had, do we start over, or should we just break it off? Is there even anything still there? It's all so confusing right now and I can't focus on anything with all this going through my head on a loop." The red head started to tear up when the man moved from his chair and brought her into an embrace. "My dear Akane, I will always have love for you, even if you do not return it. I would like to have a relationship with you whether we continue the old one or start anew. It is your choice and I will not force you either way." "I want to continue what we had, but I've changed. I don't know how we could possibly go back to the way things were." "Then how about we just start fresh? It intrigues me to find out what has changed about you. Will you have dinner with me tomorrow?" "Dinner would be great." Akane gave a slight smile before giving the man a kiss on the cheek and taking her leave.

The woman took her time returning to her barracks as she had a busy day and there was much to think about. They were going to start a fresh relationship, but would it be enough? Her thoughts wandered to the one she lost so long ago and her heart began to ache. What was so wrong with her that he would not accept her love? She could have had any man she wanted, and most would compare her love to winning the lottery, but the one she chose denied her. Today must not have been a good day for her attention span for as she was walking her shoulder hit that of someone else's. "Watch where you're going woman!" She looked over to find none other than Kenpachi Zaraki. "What's your problem?!" Akane snapped at her colleague. "Well aren't you feisty. It's too bad you can't fight me, it might be fun." "And who says I can't?" "From the way you act I'd say you're definitely not strong enough to take me on." "It's not that I'm not strong enough, but more that I'm too strong for you." "There it is again, that big talk from a small body." "You want a fight? 9:00 AM tomorrow, grab Captain Unohana on your way to the division three barracks and we'll see who the big talk is coming from." "You got it doll" The two captains glared at each other for a moment before continuing on their separate ways.

'What a dumbass. It makes things interesting at least.' Akane thought as she entered her room. It was far passed dinner time by now so she settled for a cup of the top shelf sake from her stash. That night sleep did not come easy, but no vases were broken.

*With Kenpachi*

"What a woman." Kenpachi said to himself as he lay in bed. He couldn't keep this woman out of his thoughts. It bothered him that she had this big of a mouth yet she would not fight him. Not only that, but the way she touched him yesterday, he could tell she was incredibly strong. It took an immense amount of control to be able to emit spiritual pressure out of only specific parts of the body. On top of her being strong, she had one of the most gorgeous bodies the man had ever laid eyes on. Between those two qualities he decided that he had to make her his. In his eyes, tomorrow would ultimately decide the fate of what might happen between them.


	3. Chapter 3

Akane woke early the next morning to prepare for her fight with Kenpachi. While she was eating her big breakfast she heard whispers from practically her whole squad about the upcoming match. She was deep in thought while chewing her food when someone approached her. "So what's with this big fight I've been hearing about?" questioned Saya from behind her. "Oh you know, just another power hungry bastard who thinks he can beat me just because I'm a girl." Saya sat in the lieutenant's vacant seat next to her captain. "Please, be careful. Captain Zaraki is said to be the most powerful captain other than the Head Captain." "There is one every generation, the strongest of all soul reapers, each one stronger than the last. This person is given the title of Kenpachi." "How do you know so much about this, captain?" "I'm a lot older than I look, Saya. I've lived through the reign of many named Kenpachi during my time in this world." "In that case, please be careful, Captain Takenouchi. I have faith in your victory. I see something in you that I haven't seen in any other soul reaper, not even Captain Zaraki." "Thank you, Saya. I hope I'll see you there. Oh, and you look good in that seat, it suits you." With a smile the captain walked out and was on her way to the battlefield.

As Akane arrived she found her destination filled with many people from every division, eleventh, fourth, eighth, and of course her own third. Among the others present was Captain Unohana, as Akane requested, her friend Captain Kyoraku, as well as a few other captains. She took her place across from the young Kenpachi and greeted him. "Well good morning Captain Zaraki. I must say, I'm rather impressed that you actually showed up." "If there's anyone I'm surprised to see, it's you, Captain Takenouchi." Zaraki replied. Akane just glared at the arrogant captain before her. She could feel her body begin to tremble with an excitement that she hadn't felt since before she left the soul society. Akane then continued to walk past the captain toward the end of the open training area. Once they were a good 50 ft apart she stopped and shook off her haori and handed it to Saya. "Good luck captain," Saya whispered. "I don't need luck when I have strength Saya." Akane chuckled. "Is that cockiness I hear squad captain?" Zaraki's voice rang over the grounds. When she turned to look at him he looked as lax as ever with his nameless zanpakuto held on his shoulder. "It's not cockiness when it's the truth captain" she growled at him. "Then prove it" he shouted and charged at her.

At that moment all surrounding squad members crowded the walls and she took off. She met him in the middle as she was drawing her sword. With a loud clash they stopped in the middle, arms pushing and shaking from the force of their swords trying to gain the advantage. After a minute of this they disengaged and as soon as Zaraki landed he immediately took off for Akane, aiming a slash at her shoulder. She flash stepped behind him and went to stab his shoulder, only for him to catch her sword in midair. Everything stood still as her pulse raced. 'How is this possible? He can't be that strong, can he? Did I underestimate him?' All these questions ran through Akane's head, and the next thing she knew, she was being thrown towards a wall. Regaining her composure she flipped in the air so that her feet hit the wall. Kicking straight off of it, she shot at Kenpachi like a rocket. He swung to knock her out of the air, but she twisted and kicked him in the face, her heel sending him backwards. Then a smell she was all too familiar with filled the air…blood.

As Zaraki stood up she could see her heel had gashed his head open and blood was flowing down his face in small rivers. Zaraki just laughed and as the blood reached his face licked it. "AHHHH FINALLY" he yelled "someone I can fight with!" She could see the bloodlust in his eyes and she had it too. She had waited for so long to be able to fight like this and she wasn't going to hold back. Once again they both shot at each other, but this time with so much force the ground started to give way Akane's mind was focused on nothing but making her opponent in front of her bleed no matter what. The two captains seemed to dance and fly as their swords wove patterns that none had used in years. With Zaraki being physically bigger than Akane he was beginning to push into her, his slashes gaining more power as she tried to needle her way through his defenses, parrying and stabbing with finesse to counter his broad sword strokes. After a few minutes of this she began to laugh. She could feel her spiritual pressure getting used to combat, as well as his own massive pressure that had begun to crush some of the subordinates around.

With a quick flick of her wrist she parried a slash and shouted, "Hado number 31 Shakkaho!" In an instant Zaraki was engulfed in flames and jumped backwards. "So it's gotten so hard that you've resorted to using tricks to get me away from you, huh?" Zaraki shrugged his captain's haori off as it continued to burn. "I guess you really weren't the best type to fight then. I'm bored then if you're already using kido." With that she watched him turn his back. She was going to make him pay for his arrogance. The ground beneath her shook as she felt her reiatsu building until she growled "Lash out, Ketsueki Ojo! You're not going anywhere you arrogant prick". Zaraki turned in enough time to see the whip headed towards him at full speed. He went to block it with his hand, but at the last second moved behind his zanpakuto as he heard the screeching of blade on blade. His eyes widened. She knew that he was surprised that her zanpakuto would have cut him in this form.

"You're full of surprises, Captain." Kenpachi laughed as he could feel her reiatsu building. "Now that you've decided to have fun I can have some of my own!" With a quick flick of his sword he tore his eye patch off. Instantly the air was thick with pressure and they both just smiled at one another, each with a bloodthirsty grin on their face. Akane tightened her grip on her zanpakuto and swung it towards Zaraki, and then they both disappeared. For the next few minutes the clashes were so quick that the only way they were visible was the damage created by the shock wave. Chunks of ground and wall were being thrown everywhere and the training ground was beginning to get destroyed. Akane knew that despite the fun she was having things would have to stop soon or the Seireitei would be at risk. When Akane landed she lashed her whip at Kenpachi and it wrapped around his sword, thus begun a game of tug of war with Kenpachi.

"Are you ready to take a break already? I didn't realize that you were so low on stamina." He smirked, and once again Akane called in a calm manor, "lash out". At that moment Kenpachi fell forward as the whip dissolved into a tendril of needles. As they flowed back to Akane they remained in a whip like fashion. He was staring at her and as her zanpakuto flowed around her they covered her and she disappeared. "I'm just getting warmed up" she whispered in his ear as she appeared behind him, and as he began to swing his zanpakuto she caught it in her hand. She watched as his eyes widened with what looked like a fear he had probably never known. "Now it is time for me to show you how weak you really are Kenpachi! Bankai, Ketsueki Ojo Sousa No!" She called upon her Zanpakuto's greatest power as he disappeared. "I'm weak? You must be delirious woman! This is just getting exciting!" The words had barely left his mouth when he noticed all the lines around him and the tingling sensations in his sides. The man looked down to see her needles surrounded in spiritual pressure stuck in him all over, making him look like a pin cushion. He looked back up just in time to see her walking away just as the pain started to erupt in his body. As she walked away from him the training ground was silent and she could hear Captain Unohana order her squad to carry him to the fourth division barracks.

Later in the fourth division barracks Captain Unohana arrived to check up on her friend after tending to Captain Zaraki. Her injuries were nothing compared to the ones she inflicted on him, but she still had a few scratches. "So how's the egotistic bastard doing?" Akane questioned the medic. "Captain Zaraki should make a full and speedy recovery. How are you feeling?" "I'm fine, just a few scratches," she replied in a distracted tone. "Tell me, what's on your mind Akane?" "That man, he's different from most of the Kenpachi before him. He is one of the few who may actually deserve the title." "I understand what you're saying. In all my years here in the Soul Society I haven't seen a Kenpachi of his caliber since, well, since you." Akane just sat in quiet for a moment, pondering her predecessor's words. "What bothers me though is that each Kenpachi is supposed to be stronger than the last. The line is easily at its tenth successor, so what are us old fools still doing alive?" The younger captain questioned. "Well you were supposed to dispose of me when you took my title, but I guess the simple answer to this question would be that the new aren't stronger than the old. Other than that, I would say that the other soul reapers might be scared of us, or value us as weapons against our enemies." "Whatever the answer, all I know is that I haven't seen one this strong in quite a while. I want, no, I need to know more about him Retsu." "Well now, has the great Captain Akane Takenouchi taken an interest in this man?" "I guess you could say that, though to what extent I could not say." "He should be awake by now, you're welcome to go talk with him. Just please be careful Akane, I do not wish to see you get hurt again." Akane nodded as her friend gave her a gentle hug before leaving the room.

After giving it some thought Akane decided to act upon Unohana's advice and go visit the young captain. As she arrived at his room the door was open only a crack. She just stood there watching him for a moment, looking over his still body. He was without a shirt due to all the bandages wrapped around his abdomen. Even with the bandages she could see his well-defined abs, which was unfortunately one of her biggest weaknesses in a man. Just as Akane was about to enter the room for a closer look, the man stirred in his sleep. Her steps froze as she immediately turned and bolted back to her own division barracks.

*Kenpachi*

The man lay there in an unconscious state, thoughts of the woman who had just defeated him filling his head. How could anyone possibly take him down, let alone a woman? He had never seen the amount of power which she had possessed. He lay there pondering these questions when he was awoken by a familiar spiritual pressure. It belonged to her. His body stirred in the bed he currently occupied, trying to regain enough consciousness so that he could lay his eyes on this incredible woman. As soon as he regained his vision he looked in the direction of her radiant spiritual pressure, only to find there was no one there.


	4. Chapter 4

It had been a long and miserable week since Akane's battle with Kenpachi. Even though she was hardly wounded from the match her subordinates wouldn't allow her to participate in any physical activity. This meant that her days lately have consisted mostly of paperwork and talking to anyone she found who could spare a few minutes, which seemed to be everyone since no one could refuse not only their captain, but a soul reaper of her strength. Captain Ukitake had rushed over the moment he heard of what had happened. He insisted that he watch after her for a while, but his own third seats wouldn't allow it due to his illness. Captain Unohana came to visit her the other day with news of Captain Zaraki's full recovery. She still had so many questions about the man, but she was also still too nervous to speak to the captain. When it came to fighting words, she could throw them around like none other, and back them up too. However, everything changes when she begins to talk to men like him. Akane Takenouchi has always been the kind of woman to make all men grovel at her feet, but her interest was always in the stronger, more muscular men. The kind of men that left her speechless.

The captain was deep in thought about the subject when her favorite seventh seat walked through the door. "Excuse me captain, there's a message from the Head Captain, something about a meeting to be held the day after next." "Thank you Saya. I will make the necessary arrangements immediately. Would you be a dear and spread these flyers around the Seireitei?" "Of course captain, but might I ask what they're for?" "Oh you'll find out soon enough. All I can tell you for now is that a big change is coming to this division. Now hurry, and be sure to give a few of those to some of the captains and have them give one to each of their female seated officers." "Yes captain. I shall return in time for dinner." With that promise Saya was off to carry out the will of her captain.

To Akane's surprise she received an invitation to dinner the next night from Jushiro. It was delivered personally by one of his third seats, Kiyone Kotetsu, who personally didn't look too pleased about her task. So that afternoon was spent getting ready for their date. She put her hair up in a style different from her everyday chopsticks. She dressed in a beautiful lavender kimono with her white dress heels as opposed to her uniform black ones. On top of all this she applied a layer of silver eye shadow to match her outfit and really made her eyes pop by lining them in black. She was about to add the finishing touches when a knock came from her door. She quickly put on some lip gloss before answering the door. Standing before her was Jushiro Ukitake looking handsome as ever, holding a bouquet of her favorite flowers.

"I hope lilies are still your favorite." "Thank you Jushiro, they're beautiful." Akane placed the flowers on the counter before locking the door behind her. She grabbed the man's extended arm as he led the woman from the barracks. "So where are we off to?" "If I told you it wouldn't be a surprise now would it? My only promise is that you'll like it." Akane smiled softly, remembering why a part of her fell for the man in the first place. The couple made their way to Kanrakugai, the entertainment district of the Seireitei, where they ended their journey in a small, but very nice looking, restaurant.

The two made small talk over dinner, but they both had other, more serious things on their minds. Jushiro longed to discuss his future with the woman, but didn't want to scare her away. Akane on the other hand had rather another man on her mind. After her battle with the reigning Kenpachi she just had to know more about the man. Although she was having a nice time with Jushiro, that's all it was. She truly cared about the man, but any romance that was once there was now gone. The woman was lost in thought and was unable to notice the other captain trying to get her attention. "Akane, are you ready to go?" "Huh? Oh, yeah!" The two got up from the table and left the establishment, getting ready to head back to the barracks when Akane suddenly stopped. "You know, I think I'm going to stick around for a drink. Thank you for dinner though, it was wonderful." "If that's what you want to do then I'll see you later. Thank you for coming out with me tonight, I had a good time." Jushiro took the woman's hands in his own and softly kissed her lips. He let go and left the woman standing in slight shock, waving as he walked away.

When Akane was able to pull herself together she started for her favorite bar in the Kanrakugai, one which only allowed captains and seated officers through its doors so it was slightly quieter. She made her way to the bar and ordered a bottle of her preferred sake. There were a few other officers there, and a small room filled with some lieutenants, but no one of major significance. The woman was almost finished with her bottle of sake when she received the most pleasant surprise she could ask for as Kenpachi Zaraki sat only a few seats down from her. Normally at this point her heart would start to beat faster and she would become nervous, but they don't call alcohol liquid courage for nothing.

Akane sat at her end of the bar in silence, almost hoping that the man wouldn't notice her. Unfortunately for her, how could someone not notice her in her current dress? "That was quite a fight woman." "Indeed it was" she replied as she finished the last of her sake. She stood and was on her way out when the man grabbed her arm. Now of course this is what she really wanted to happen, but despite downing a full bottle of sake she was far too nervous to stay and see where this encounter would lead. "What's the hurry? Stay and have another drink" the man told her as he ordered a bottle of sake identical to the one she had just finished. The man used so much force that she couldn't resist taking up the seat next to him for one more drink.

"So back to what I was saying, that was quite the fight last week. I haven't had that much fun in a long time." "Yeah, I know what you mean. My Zanpakuto hasn't tasted blood that good in a while." The man looked impressed. It was very rare to find anyone, much less a woman, who enjoyed fighting and bloodshed of this caliber. They spent the rest of the night reminiscing their fight along with stories of other past battles they enjoyed. A few hours and a couple of bottles a sake later the two captains were on their way out the door of the bar. "This has been an interesting night, we'll have to do it again sometime" said the man. The part of Akane that was still conscious couldn't believe what she just heard. Did he really just say that he wanted to see her again? She knew this wasn't a date or anything, but it was a good start. With these thoughts she unsteadily began walking in the direction of the squad three barracks. "I'll see you around, Kenpachi from Zaraki." "You sure you're okay to walk back in those shoes princess?"

The man gave a slight chuckle as the woman looked at his remark. Just as she was about to take another step she tripped and was headed to the ground face first. Before her body was able to make contact she looked up and realized that someone had caught her. Akane looked up and saw Kenpachi acting as her knight in shining armor. She could feel her heart start to beat faster, and she thought she could feel his quickening as well. "You look like you could use some help getting back." Before she could object, the man had Akane in his strong arms, carrying her to her barracks. She had to admit, this was something she could get used to.

Nearly the whole way back all Kenpachi could do was make fun of the woman and telling her not to drink so much. Unfortunately it wasn't as simple to tell him that she can normally hold her liquor just fine, it was him that she found intoxicating. Thankfully it was late enough that no one would get to see their captain's embarrassing state, or so she thought. As they entered the squad three barracks the two captains happened to run into Saya. "Captain, are you alright? What happened?" "She's fine, princess tipsy just can't walk in her shoes." As he said this, Kenpachi put the woman down who quickly pouted and turned away from the man. Saya couldn't help but laugh at the scene, she was just thankful that her captain was alright. "I need to get back to my squad. Girl, you make sure she makes it to bed alright." "Yes sir." As Kenpachi walked away, Akane couldn't help but to take one last look at the man. She wasn't sure yet what would come of their night together, but deep down she had high hopes for him. "Captain?" Akane's train of thought was interrupted by Saya who again had a worried look on her face. "Are you sure you're alright captain?" "I'm fine, I just need to get some sleep."

Saya escorted Akane back to her room just to make sure she didn't experience a bad fall or anything of the sort. Her captain was quite tipsy. "You don't have to follow me all the way back Saya." "But I promised Captain Zaraki that I would. What happened with you two tonight, if you don't mind me asking. I thought you had plans with Captain Ukitake?" "Jushiro and I have something of a complicated history and I'm just not sure I'm ready to bring that back to the light. After dinner I went to the bar to clear my head and Kenpachi showed up as I was about to leave. He insisted that I stay and have a drink so I obliged and we sat there sharing war stories all night. I have to admit though, it was nice just having a conversation without having to think about what comes next." Although she was already thinking about what would come next in the long run. Once again Akane's thoughts were interrupted when Saya pointed out, "Captain, why is your face all red?" "It is not! IT's probably from drinking so much tonight. Yeah, that's it!" "Well I think my captain has a crush on another certain captain." Akane's face grew even redder, but it was kind of nice to have subordinates that weren't scared to joke around with her a little.

They finally reached the captain's quarters and said goodnight to each other. All Akane wanted to do was crash and go to sleep, but she didn't want to ruin her nice kimono. She slowly got undressed and put away her nice clothes which his scent still lingered on. She got in bed and began thinking of what their next time would be. Would they meet up again soon for dinner or drinks? Or would their next encounter not be until the next captain meeting? She didn't know, but she wanted to see him again and soon. She immediately started to think of excuses she could use to go near the squad eleven barracks in the next day or two. As sleep came to her, her dreams were filled with Kenpachi Zaraki.

*Kenpachi*

That night Kenpachi took his time walking back to his own barracks, his night with Akane still fresh on his mind. He had to admit, the woman was far more remarkable than he ever thought possible. She was the first woman he had met who thrived on recollections of past battles. One thing he couldn't help but notice as he was carrying her home was the quickening of her heart. Was it simply because of their situation, or was it him specifically that caused it? He smirked at the thought of doing that to her. Though as humorous as he found it, it also made him nervous. Did this mean that there was a shot at a future with this woman? Sure he had been with plenty of women, but he had never really dated one, he simply had never found one he deemed worthy of more than a night of his time, until now. He had actually admitted that he liked her company by telling her that they should do it again. She didn't give him an answer, but she didn't say no, right?

The man was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn't even notice when a small pink haired soul reaper landed on his back, although he didn't usually notice her appearance anyway. "Kenny, where have you been?" Kenpachi ignored the girl and continued walking as she began to poke and prod him. "Kenny, pay attention to me!" "Not now Yachiru." "What's wrong Kenny? You're being awful quiet," she said with a worrisome frown. He arrived in his room and fell on the bed, Yachiru still climbing on him. "You could at least tell me where you've been all night." "I was out drinking and I ran into that Takenouchi woman. She's something else." When the girl heard this a wide grin instantly appeared on her face. "I know what you're thinking Yachiru. Don't do it." "Aw you're no fun. Did you at least give her a big kiss?" "Yachiru! Isn't it past your bed time?" The young soul reaper sighed on her way out the door, leaving the man with his thoughts.


	5. Chapter 5

It was morning when Akane awoke. She was sure that the events of the previous night were only alcohol induced dreams. She sat up and took a moment to pull herself together and take in her surroundings. As much as she wanted to try to process what had happened, she dimply didn't have time. Today was the meeting to put together her female squad and she didn't have any time to waste. Akane made herself presentable and walked to the dining hall to grab a quick bite before her meeting. As she walked in Saya noticed her immediately and came up to her. "Good morning captain! How are you feeling?" "I'm doing just fine. Would you like to join me for breakfast?" Saya nodded her head and followed her captain to head table.

Akane sat at the table in silence, though she could tell that there was something that her subordinate wanted to say. "Saya? If there's something you need to say then please, feel free to tell me." "Well to be honest, I'm still curious about what went on between you and Captain Zaraki last night." "Not so loud Saya! All that happened last night was that I drank a bit too much and Captain Zaraki helped me home. This is not to be brought up again." This was the captain's response, but in truth she wanted to talk more about it. She wanted someone else's opinion on what last night meant. Was it really just a couple drinks between captains, or did it mean something else? If only she wasn't too embarrassed to ask someone about it. That's when it came to her. The only person she'd ever been able to speak completely open with was Retsu. Perhaps she would pay the healer a visit that afternoon.

After Saya was scolded for bringing up the forbidden topic she stayed quiet until she accompanied Akane out from breakfast. "What's next on the agenda Captain?" "I must hold a meeting to recruit for the new squad three." "New squad three? I'm afraid I don't understand Captain." "When I was captain before, squad three was made up completely of females. Studies showed that these women performed better than most of those in other squads. The idea is that without men to compete against, women feel more comfortable training with one another and that the idea of failing and trying again is more accepted without criticism, causing them to train more and become stronger." "I see. That sounds like a wonderful program Captain, and I'd love to participate!" "Well this meeting is the first step in reinitiating the program, and I'd strongly advise your attendance. Also feel free to spread the word to the other women in the squad, and the meeting will begin in one hour." Saya nodded and was off to tell everyone she could think of about this grand opportunity.

As scheduled, the meeting began one hour later, and with a much better turn out than Akane was expecting. After giving her speech there was a large number of female soul reapers who were very interested in the idea of having their own squad, but now the hard part would begin. After taking a list of names to the head captain several soul reapers would need transferring both in and out of her squad, then there was the matter of reseating. Thinking about all this at once made Akane's head spin, at least until she spotted a head of bright pink hair. "Lt Kusajishi, what are you doing here? This meeting was only for soul reapers under the rank of lieutenant." "Hi Scary Lady! I came here because I wanted to tell you something!" "Tell me something?" The captain had a very confused look on her face. Surely the girl was here of her own accord, she couldn't imagine Captain Zaraki sending Yachiru on a messenger run. But what could the girl possibly have to tell her? The look on her face must have given away just how confused she was, because a large grin grew on the girl's face. "Come on, aren't you gonna guess?" "I'm a very busy woman at the moment Lieutenant, I don't have time to play your game. If you're not going to tell me then go home." "Okay, I'll tell you!" Her grin widened and she gave a goofy laugh. "I think Kenny has a crush on you!"

Akane was in disbelief. Yes, this was her desire, but to have it confirmed was unreal. Despite her feelings of joy and relief, she had to keep her composure until she could process this later. "Saya, please get word to Captain Zaraki to come retrieve his lieutenant." "I'll save you the trip," said a deep voice from behind Akane. She turned around to find the subject of her recent thoughts, her heart skipping a beat. "Captain Zaraki, what a pleasant surprise." "And how's the princess feeling today?" "I'm just fine. And I have a name you know!" "I'm well aware of that Captain Takenouchi, but I think I like Princess better." By this point the two were almost face to face. In fear that another fight between the two, Saya decided to break things up. She very cautiously stepped between the two, causing them to step back from one another. "Come on Yachiru, we have things to do." "Aww alright. Aren't you going to give Scary Lady a goodbye kiss?" Akane blushed a dark red as she looked away from the man. She was expecting him to walk away, but instead he was getting closer.

"You're not gonna be shy about it are you?" the man joked. "Why would I be shy about it when you would never do it in the first place?" Akane retorted in an irritated tone. It's true that she couldn't see him actually doing it, but a part of her wished that he would, she longed for his touch. "Eh, maybe next time, if you're lucky." Akane scoffed and was about to turn away once more when it happened. Someone pushed Kenpachi right into her. Akane's eyes went wide at the sudden surprise, but she got wish. Her lips were locked with Kenpachi's, even if it wasn't the way she had planned. After the initial shock had passed his lips seemed to soften as they both relaxed. Just as he was about to embrace the woman and deepen the kiss he remembered where he was. He slowly and reluctantly separated from the woman, thoughts filling his head of a possible future with her. "See Kenny, that wasn't so hard!" Yachiru chimed in. The two started bickering about how she shouldn't have done this but he enjoyed that, all while Akane just stood there gathering her thoughts.

Saya watched as the scene before her unfolded, unsure of what action she should take, but finally decided on getting the attention of her captain. "Captain Takenouchi? Should we do something?" Saya's comment seemed to snap the woman out of her daze. "Yes, I suppose you're right. Captain Zaraki, please leave. I have business to attend to." The two squad eleven members ceased fighting and stared at the woman. "You guys just kissed and you're really gonna kick him out?" Yachiru seemed very disappointed while Kenpachi turned his back and started on his way. "Come on Yachiru, we're going. See you later, Princess." "Bye Scary Lady! Come play with Kenny real soon, okay?" Akane watched the man walk away, still not completely sure of what had just happened. "So what's next Captain?" "I need to go talk to Captain Unohana, can you take this report from the meeting to squad one for me?" "Of course Captain. Is there anything else you need me to do?" "That is all Saya, thank you."

The subordinate left and the captain was on her way to talk with her friend in squad four. This was not an urgent matter and Akane had a lot to think about, so she took her time and took in the scenery around the Seireitei. At last she arrived at her destination and found Captain Unohana in her office looking over some medical reports. "Akane, I wasn't expecting to see you today. What can I do for you?" "I need to someone to talk to Retsu." "In that case, I believe you came to the right place. What is in need of discussing?" Akane took a while to explain the predicament she was in. The older captain thought about it for a moment before giving her piece of advice. "You should just go for it, Akane. You've always had this problem with talking to men you find attractive, now is your time to conquer that fear." Maybe the older captain was right. Most men fawned over her because of her looks, but this man was different. He wasn't after just her looks, he wanted the whole package. Out of every man she had met, he seemed most worthy of her fighting for, most worthy for her to take the risk of putting herself out there. "Maybe you're right, Retsu. But what if I misread all of his actions and make a fool of myself?" "Then I will be here to catch you if you fall, but from what you've told me it doesn't sound like that is the case. It sounds as if he has a genuine interest in you and he is worth taking a risk for." "Thank you, Retsu. You've given me quite a bit to think about. I'm afraid that I must be getting back to my squad, but I'll talk to you soon."

Akane returned to her own squad barracks in need of some time to think. Earlier that day Kenpachi Zaraki had actually kissed her. Sure it wasn't entirely on purpose, but she swore that she felt him give into it before pulling away. Of course she wouldn't admit it to anyone else, but she thoroughly enjoyed it. Could she really be falling in love with this man? She didn't really know much about him other than that his love for battle rivaled her own. Akane lay in the shade under her favorite sakura tree as a heard a voice call out to her. "Akane, what will you do?" She looked over to see the spirit of her zanpakuto, Ketsueki Ojo. "Well this is rare. To what do I owe the pleasure, Ketsueki Ojo?" "I noticed that you have been thinking about this Kenpachi Zaraki quite a bit lately. I rather enjoyed fighting him. Whatever you decide to do about him, be sure to fight him again. His abilities taken into consideration, I believe he would be a suitable match for you." The soul reaper was surprised at the words of her zanpakuto. Apparently everyone thought they would be a good couple, but neither of them were taking any steps toward that future. Honestly she wished that one of them would make some kind of move, she was tired of continuously thinking about what she should do or if he would do something else or maybe she should just give up on the whole thing. She found herself unsure of what action to take next, so she decided on a nap in the shade.

*Kenpachi*

It took a special kind of woman to occupy Kenpachi Zaraki's mind as much as Akane had been lately. It annoyed him, but at the same time he didn't mind it too much. A part of him was almost grateful for the stunt that Yachiru pulled. The woman had the kind of lips that could pull you in for hours. If they had been in a more appropriate place he would have taken her right there, but she also wasn't the kind of woman a guy used for a one-night stand. She was the kind of woman who needed to be taken out, showered with gifts, shown off, and she made Kenpachi want to do it all.

Unfortunately, before he could think about her too much he had a lieutenant to scold. Although he almost wanted to thank her, the girl needed to understand that what she did was unacceptable in most other cases. Yachiru frowned as he scolded her, but he didn't feel too bad, he would make sure she got extra dessert that night. Hopefully that would shut her up just long enough for him to figure out how to ask the current occupant of his dreams out on a date.


	6. Chapter 6

A few weeks had passed since Akane's encounter with Kenpachi and she hadn't seen him since. She desperately wanted to spend more time with the man, but she couldn't muster the courage to go see him. She wondered about him occasionally, but tried not to think about him too much. This was easy to do right now considering she was in the middle of slowly transferring soul reapers in and out of her squad. Fortunately for her there was a captains meeting that day so she would get a small break from the relocating. The down side to this meeting was that she would have to see him again. Of course she still adored the man, but if it wasn't going to happen then she preferred as little contact as possible. Akane sighed as she stood from her desk and started on her way to the meeting.

On her way to the meeting, Akane ran into some rather familiar faces. "Good evening, Akane!" Captain Kyoraku waved as he, along with Captain Ukitake, approached the woman. "How have you been, Akane? No one's seen you much lately since you've been holed up in your barracks." After their date Akane made a point to have a very serious talk with Jushiro. She wanted to make sure that he understood that it just wasn't the right relationship for her. She could tell that he was heartbroken, but he completely understood, and he would always be one of her dearest friends. "It's been so hectic lately trying to place everyone in the right squads." "I know just what you need!" Captain Kyoraku exclaimed as he wrapped an arm around her. "After the meeting all the captains should go get a drink!" She had to admit, a drink sounded wonderful right now. Akane hadn't gone out drinking since the incident with Kenpachi. Of course he would be invited, but she wouldn't make a fool of herself with everyone else there, would she? "A drink sounds great!" she replied after a moment of thought. "And don't worry my dear, we'll make sure you don't go home with Zaraki again," Kyoraku said with a chuckle. "How could you possibly know about that?!" "You should know by now that not everyone around the Seireitei has tight lips my dear. Don't worry, Nanao will make sure that none of us get too inappropriate. You should bring your new lieutenant too; it would be a good chance for her to meet the other captains. What was her name again?" "Saya Izumi" The two captains talked back and forth with the third following them quietly.

The three captains arrived only to discover that they were the last ones there. As Akane walked to her place she walked past Captain Zaraki. She was nervous after not seeing him since their kiss, but she forced herself to keep her composure in front of the man. In the brief moment they had before the head captain walked in Captain Kyoraku announced that the captains would get together for a drink, and most of them seemed to agree that it would be a nice way to relieve some of the recent stress they were under. Akane wasn't the only one who had to deal with putting the male soul reapers in different squads. It seemed as though she was running around to the different squads every day or two trying to fit the outgoing soul reapers into other squads. She was a little surprised that the other captains hadn't grown tired of her yet.

The meeting itself was quite boring, just the same old reporting of significant assignments from each squad. Akane was too busy thinking about a possible encounter with Kenpachi that she didn't notice it was her turn to report until Captain Komamura gave her a nudge. "The reforming of squad three is going very smoothly, it's just a bit time consuming. So far all the transfers in have been adapting well. The transfers should be complete within a couple weeks." She wouldn't admit it to the other captains, but all the transfers were complete other than the ones dealing with squad eleven. She was simply too nervous to go talk to the captain, even if it was purely business. "Also, I have temporarily sent Lieutenant Kira to help Lieutenant Hinamori with squad five until a suitable captain is found. Meanwhile, I have appointed the previous seventh seat of squad three, Saya Izumi, as my lieutenant. Although she was only a seventh seat, I have witnessed her fighting abilities first hand and she has much potential." "Good work, Akane. As I expected, you are making great progress in a short amount of time. Does anyone else have anything to report?" the captains stayed silent as no one had anything else, and the head captain called the meeting adjourned.

The captains agreed to meet at the bar an hour after the meeting had ended, giving Akane just enough time to go find Saya. She looked all over the barracks and had no luck in finding her lieutenant, she was starting to worry. At last when she was about to give up, Saya was found in the one place Akane never thought to look, in her own napping spot under the sakura tree. The captain was relieved that her lieutenant wasn't missing, but she had no time to waste if she wanted to make it to the bar on time. "Saya, wake up!" the captain shouted as she shook the girl awake. "I'm up, I'm up! What's going on captain?" "I'll explain on the way, but if you don't get up we're going to be late!" Saya immediately jumped up and began following her captain.

"So where are we headed in such a hurry captain?" "The captains are having a sort of get together to relax, and the others thought that it might be nice for you to get to know them a bit." "B-but captain! I'm only a newly promoted lieutenant, I'm not good enough to socialize with the other captains!" "Saya, you worry too much. Just don't worry about who they are and just have fun! They're good people, and I'm sure they'll like you just fine. Well, most of them anyway." The captain gave her subordinate a soft smile as they reached their destination. "Aka-Chan, over here!" Shunsui called to the women as they entered the bar. The other captains had gotten a private room for their little get together. "I told you not to call me that, Shunsui." "Sounds like someone needs a drink." The captains walked into the room followed by the lieutenant to find the room already occupied by six other captains and a few lieutenants.

Akane walked into the room, being completely in her element while Saya was a nervous wreck. The captain sat down and joined her peers while the lieutenant just stood in the doorway. "Come on Saya, don't be shy. Why don't you have a drink or two, I'm sure it'll loosen you right up." The girl slowly walked to the table and took a seat next to her captain who poured her a rather large drink. Since they were seated in the middle of the table there was no way Saya could avoid talking to the other captains. Akane was sitting next to Captain Unohana and across from Captains Kurotsuchi and Komamura, while she thought that Saya might be more comfortable across from Captains Ukitake and Kyoraku, but still had the misfortune of sitting next to Captain Kuchiki.

Everyone was having a good time, even Saya was enjoying herself. Surprisingly she was really getting along with Byakuya while Shunsui and Jushiro joked among themselves. It wasn't until then that Akane realized something that she began to get slightly nervous. "Retsu, where's Zaraki?" "I'm not sure, I was assuming he would be here, but I haven't seen him since the captains meeting." This made her more nervous which caused her to start drinking more. "Take it easy, Akane. If he doesn't show up it's not the end of the world. I'm sure you'll see him again soon." "That's what I'm afraid of," Akane responded as she took another drink. Just as she was beginning to calm down, she felt a familiar spiritual energy and grew tense. "Sorry I'm late, hope you guys aren't done yet," Kenpachi said as he walked into the room. He immediately became aware of the female soul reaper's presence and forced himself into a spot across from her. "Hey princess. You haven't been drinking too much again, have you?" "What I do is none of your business, Kenpachi Zaraki." Akane's group of friends gave a slight chuckle as they had all heard about their previous encounter. Kenpachi laughed at her reaction and took a drink.

After that all the captains got along just fine, all laughing, drinking and having a good time. It was getting rather late as the captains began trickling out, Captains Kurotsuchi and Komamura being the first to leave. Not long after they left Akane noticed Saya and Captain Kuchiki slip out quietly together. She would question her lieutenant about that in the morning after she had slept off the effects of the alcohol. After some more time passed Shunsui and Jushiro decided it was their turn to leave and they said their good byes. Now it was just Akane, Kenpachi, and Captain Unohana. Akane was at a point where she had drunk so much, partly due to her situation, that she was no longer conscious of what exactly was going on at this point. Captain Unohana gave a devilish smile and said goodnight to the remaining two captains, curious as to what would happen when they were left alone. As much as the woman tried to leave it wasn't an easy task with Akane hanging on her, begging her to stay. "Come on Retsu, just one more drink, or five." "I think I've had enough for tonight, Akane, maybe next time," the older captain replied with a soft smile while the younger one began to whine when suddenly a strong arm pulled Akane off of her mentor. "I suggest you get out while I've got a hold of her. I'm not sure just how strong she is when she's drunk." "Thank you, Captain Zaraki. Have a nice night you two, I'll see you later."

The woman was out the door before Kenpachi could realize what he'd done. "Damn, it looks like I have to escort the drunk princess home again." Although he made it sound like a bad thing, he was actually rather grateful. He hadn't even seen the woman in weeks and it was honestly driving him up the wall. He walked over to her and started to throw her over his shoulder when he got a kick in the gut. "What the hell was that for?!" "You were going to put me over your shoulder weren't you? I'm still conscious you know. I'm pretty sure you don't carry conscious people like that." Before she could say anything else Kenpachi walked over to her and took Akane into his arms bridal style. "What are you doing now?" "You're starting to be a real pain; you know that? You complained about me carrying you over my shoulder, but there's no way in hell you can walk all the way back to your room like this." Akane pouted, but accepted his help. She couldn't decide if she really couldn't walk in her current state, or if she just didn't want to.

Kenpachi began slowing down as he reached the squad three barracks in record time. Somehow Akane had managed to fall asleep in his arms in the short amount of time it took him to get there. He couldn't help but wonder how someone so beautiful and slightly childish could also be so deadly. A part of him wished that he never would have fought her so that he wouldn't be thinking about her constantly, even during their time apart. But mostly, he wanted her in every way possible. He reached her room and entered. He didn't want to wake her, but he decided to be daring anyway. Kenpachi placed Akane gently on her bed and bent down and softly kissed her sweet lips. "Sleep tight princess." As he turned towards the door he heard her rustle in the bed. Was she still awake when he kissed her? It made him nervous, but he honestly didn't give a damn, he almost wanted her to be. Kenpachi was one foot out the door when he heard the most quiet, angelic voice he had ever heard make his dream come true. "Don't go."


	7. Chapter 7

Akane woke up the following morning felling terrible. Her head was throbbing as she felt massive amounts of pain coming from her wrists and abdomen. What the hell had she done last night? She opened her eyes and tried to sit up, but found that her body was being restricted by a strong pair of arms. Now she was really curious about what had happened, but she was too nervous to find out who was behind her. Akane tried to swiftly escape the arms of the mystery man, only for them to tighten even more. "Stop squirming around so much." Akane recognized the voice immediately as the one she heard in so many of her dreams. She used her spiritual pressure to escape from his grasp and crossed to the other side of the room. "What the hell are you doing?" Kenpachi asked as he sat up and stretched. Akane looked at the man and found him shirtless. She turned away as her face turned a deep red. Soon after, she felt a draft and looked down to find herself in only her undergarments. "What the hell did you do to me last night, you bastard?!" She grabbed the closest object, which happened to be a glass, and threw it at the man, only for him to catch it. "Calm down Princess, it's not what you think." "The hell it is!" Akane threw a vase this time which hit the wall. "If you're just gonna throw things at me I'm leaving."

The man grabbed his shirt and started for the door when the woman blocked his path. "First tell me what happened last night," she said as she avoided eye contact. He smirked as the woman practically admitted defeat. "Last night you were drunk so I brought you home after everyone else left. I was about to leave when you told me to stay, so I stayed. After that you took your clothes off and tried to force yourself on me. Tempting as it was, it's not my style to take advantage on a woman like that, so I pinned you down until you fell asleep. I was just lucky that you can't control your spirit energy as well when you're drunk. Some part of me couldn't leave you like that, so I went ahead and stayed, but I made sure you couldn't try anything else." Akane took a moment to let it all sink in. Clearly she had no self-control around this man, much to her dismay. She took a deep breath as she made her decision. "I think it would be best that you leave Captain Zaraki."

The man didn't argue, he simply walked past her, the woman muttering to herself, "I figured it wouldn't be that easy." Kenpachi heard her mumbling and turned back to the woman. "What was that?" "Nothing, forget it." Kenpachi ignored her and got closer to her. "Go on, tell me what isn't that easy." "Just forget it, I should know by now that Kenpachis don't get happy endings." The man gave a small chuckle. "What the hell are you talking about woman?" "I don't know why you're laughing at me. Think about it and you'll see that I'm right." He broke into a hearty laughter, causing Akane's anger to rise, her spiritual pressure beginning to leak. "I said stop laughing!" "How can I not laugh at what you're saying? I'm not sure what yours is, but my so called "happy ending" is standing right in front of me." A confused look appeared on Akane's face just before Kenpachi took her in his arms and leaned down to kiss her. Her face instantly turned from a look of confusion to one of surprise. She melted under his lips, this scene being the only thing she could think about for the past month.

He separated his lips from hers as she stood there, still shocked. "How's that for a happy ending?" Akane regained her senses and went back in for more. She placed her arms around his neck and forced her lips on his. Sure she had feelings for the man, but she had waited so long for this moment, it was pure lust. His tongue forced its way into her mouth to find its partner. Akane became so caught up in the dancing of their tongues that she was completely unaware that she bit his lip, and she bit it hard. It wasn't until she saw the blood running down his chin that she was even aware of what she had done. He let go of her lips to check out the damage and was surprised at how much blood she had drawn. "That didn't hurt too much, did it?" she asked as she leaned up and licked the blood from his face, starting at the bottom and ending with a peck on the lips. Damn did this woman know how to drive him wild. "If you don't stop now I won't be able to control myself much longer Princess." Akane frowned as he let go of her just as things were starting to get good. "Don't worry, we'll have some more fun again soon. I'm gonna take you out this weekend." Akane's face was confused again. "Wait, you mean like a date?" "What else would I mean?" "I just never pictured you as the dating type." "Me either." He gave her one last kiss before leaving, neither one of them believing in the events that had just occurred. Akane took a seat on her bed to collect her thoughts. "Maybe he's right. Maybe it is possible to for us to get our happy ending." She fell back on her bed as she smiled to herself before immediately springing back up after seeing the clock. She was so wrapped up in her fantasy come true that she had slept into the afternoon.

She immediately got dressed and ran to her office where she found Saya who was quietly day dreaming at her desk until she realized that her captain had entered the room. "Captain! I didn't think you were coming in today." "I'm kind of surprised I made it. What are you working on?" "Just the last of the transfers. All that's left are the ones dealing with squad eleven." "Just leave them, I'll talk to Captain Zaraki about it tomorrow." The thought of seeing him again made her heart jump. The feeling reminded her of something. "So where did you and Byakuya slip off to last night?" the question caused the lieutenant to blush a deep red. "So I guess you saw us then. All we did was take a walk through the gardens of squad six and talk, it was really nice." "So, who's got a crush on a captain now?" Akane teased as a devilish grin appeared on her face. "For your information, Captain Kuchiki is a very kind man with only good intentions. He's handsome and he truly cares for those close to him.'' "Saya, you have a serious crush on the man." "And what about you and Captain Zaraki?" Akane had to think about what to say for a moment before answering. "Well, it's going somewhere." "What's that supposed to mean?" "I'm not entirely sure myself. All I know is that our future looks promising." Just then, a messenger appeared, from squad six by the looks of it. "Miss Saya Izumi?" "That's me." "I have come with an invitation from Captain Kuchiki for dinner tomorrow night." The two women exchanged a glance before the one requested stepped forward to receive the invitation. She thanked the man before he left and stood staring at the letter. "Well, open it!" encouraged the captain. Saya slowly opened the envelope and began reading. "Well, what does it say?" asked Akane. "He wants me to have dinner with him tomorrow." The lieutenant stood there mortified, unable to find an appropriate reaction. She sat down on the small sofa, trying to grasp the situation at hand. The previous night was one of the best she'd ever had. It was clear what her answer would be and she was anxious to give it. The lieutenant rushed to her desk where she quickly wrote a reply before rushing out the door, all while her captain just stood watching.

Once Saya was gone Akane took a seat at her desk, making a sad attempt to get any work done. All she'd been trying to do for the past month is trying to forget about Kenpachi Zaraki and until this morning it was working. Now all the woman could think about was when she would see him next, and she couldn't wait. Since it was apparent that no work would get done Akane decided to go for a walk with no specific destination in mind. Somehow she ended up walking from her barracks to those of squad eleven without realizing until she ran into what felt like a wall. She quickly shook off the feeling before looking up to see that her obstacle wasn't a wall at all, but the object of her affection. "You haven't been day drinking since I left, have you princess?" It took Akane a moment to process the situation before responding. "Um no, I was just heading over to squad thirteen. Jushiro wanted to talk to me about something." This was of course a lie, for she would never admit that her subconscious brought her to him. "Well in that case why don't I just escort you the rest of the way then." Akane was starting to sweat in fear of getting caught in her lie. She decided to go with it instead of admitting the truth and graciously accepted the escort.

The walk was filled with an awkward silence which made the short walk seem to last that much longer, but neither captain minded. All they could think about was whether or not they should say anything or what the other was thinking about. Most importantly, both captains questioned whether or not that morning really happened. Finally, the silence was ended by their arrival to their destination. "Well, this is my stop," announced the woman. "Yeah, see you around princess." The man turned around but before he could get anywhere he felt someone grab his arm. "Wait!" Akane called after him. "I still need to finish the paperwork from all the squad transfers and you're the last captain I need forms from. Could you have them ready for me to pick up tomorrow?" "Yeah, sure," replied Kenpachi in a tone that gave away his disappointment. He shrugged out of her grasp and was on his was to his office to dig up the paperwork in question. Akane watched as he faded into the distance, knowing that she couldn't return to her own barracks just yet. She shrugged and headed in to see her white haired friend where they comfortably made small talk over tea.

*Kenpachi*

The man slowly walked back toward his own barracks, leaving the woman of his dreams alone with a man who he knew for certain was in love with her. He couldn't deny that he was nervous. It almost made him feel like cutting the man to ribbons, the only thing stopping him being the thoughts of her lips on him that morning. Surely she wouldn't have kissed him like that if she had feelings for another man, she didn't seem like the type of woman. No, she was fierce and wouldn't let just any man touch her, and few were worthy of that pleasure. If there was ever anything she wanted from a man she would take it by force as opposed to using her sexuality. Now that he thought about it, she was calling herself a Kenpachi earlier, but why? She was definitely strong, but could she really be that strong? From what he had heard she was an older captain, but this made him wonder just how old she was, not that it mattered. Maybe he would ask her about it one of these days. Finally, the captain arrived at his own barracks where he proceeded to search for the forms requested by the woman, looking forward to her visit the following day.


	8. Chapter 7 Part 2

**A/N: My deepest apologies for not updating sooner! I've been quite busy between working at summer camp and rediscovering ESO (if you play on Xbox hit me upp!). I hope this short bonus chapter helps to make up for lost time as well as the promise that chapter 8 is well on its way!**

 **As always, thank you to those of you who favorite/follow/review!**

*Saya*

The lieutenant hurried to squad six, eager to give her response to the captain. She was in such a rush that she nearly passed her destination. Once there, Saya quickly approached the captain's office, only to be intercepted by her squad six counterpart. "Lieutenant Izumi, what are you doing here?" "I have an important message for Captain Kuchiki that must be delivered directly." Saya tried to keep a cool composure while Renji gave her a puzzled look. Finally, he responded with a sigh. "Let me go see if he's available." The lieutenant disappeared for a moment before returning to inform the girl that the captain would see her.

She thanked him before taking a deep breath and entering through the door to find the handsome captain sitting behind a desk. He looked up and greeted her. "Saya, please come in." Byakuya set down his pen as Saya proceeded into the room, shutting the door behind her, her heart pounding. "You have something for me lieutenant Izumi?" Saya approached the captain and handed him the letter. She was too embarrassed to stay for his reaction and quickly turned to leave, only to feel him grab her arm before she could escape. "Saya, wait." She turned to face the man addressing her. "Thank you, for accepting my invitation." A small smile appeared on his face. "It's my pleasure to join you Captain Kuchiki," said the girl as she looked down, hoping the captain wouldn't notice the deep red color coming to her cheeks. "There's no need to be so formal when no one else is around." He gently lifted her face and kissed her cheek. "Captain?" They shared a longing glance, neither one moving, until there was a knock on the door.

Byakuya lowered his hand but kept the woman's gaze as her responded to the interruption. "What is it Renji?" "Sir, Captain Hitsugaya is here to see you." The man let out a sigh of disappointment as he knew that this meant the girl had to leave. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow then, Byakuya." The small smile returned to the captain's face as the girl exited the office, greeting the newly arrived Captain Hitsugaya on her way out. She couldn't help but to be excited for their dinner the next night. Saya was so excited that she practically skipped all the way back to her own barracks before realizing that she had nothing to wear. At once the terror sank in. Byakuya was a captain and head of the Kuchiki family, surely he would expect her to be as formal as possible when they were together outside of work. She decided she would ask her own captain for some advice, but first she had to wait for said woman to return.

*Byakuya*

He watched as Saya left his office. He hadn't met a woman that remarkable since Hisana. Although he knew he would receive another lecture from the Kuchiki elders if this continued for very long, he felt that she was worth it. She seemed to be very genuine, not to mention beautiful, and her rank of lieutenant meant that her strength must be on some higher level. Byakuya hoped that the elders would give him some credit for that.

While he was busy contemplating his predicament Captain Hitsugaya was going on about some situation in the Rukon District which he couldn't care less about. "Captain Kuchiki!" Much to his displeasure, the captain was brought back to the current situation. "My apologies Captain Hitsugaya. Thank you for the report." He received a look from the younger captain before rising from his desk and walking to the window. "Is something wrong Captain Kuchiki?" "It's nothing, I'll be sure to send my men out first thing tomorrow to continue the mission where yours left off. Is there anything else that needs to be discussed?" "No sir. I'll be taking my leave now." Although the two men were both of captain level, the younger one still felt the need to be formal. Not only did Byakuya have seniority, but he was also the head of one of the great noble families, not to mention he was just one of those guys that had everyone on pins and needles around him.

Captain Hitsugaya said his goodbyes and was on his way, once again leaving Byakuya to his thoughts which wandered back to Saya. He was immensely looking forward to their dinner. The captain sat back down at his desk and picked up the letter. He was in such a hurry to stop the girl from leaving that he was unable to read it in its entirety. He read it over and over again, taking note of how elegant each word was written. Someone had some serious planning to do when he got out of the office for the day. One thing was for certain for the following night, everything must be perfect.


	9. Chapter 8

Akane woke the next morning feeling better than she'd felt in a long time. Finally, everything seemed to be falling into place, her squad, her friends, and she might have even found the right man at last. That morning she took a little extra time getting ready just to make sure that she looked extra good. Before leaving to conduct her business she stopped by the dining hall for some breakfast. There Akane found Saya looking nervous in her lieutenant's seat next to her own captain's seat. "Why so nervous lieutenant?" Saya jumped as her captain took the seat next to her. "That's right, your big date is tonight isn't it." Saya just nodded. "Shouldn't you be excited?" The lieutenant gave up and finally answered the captain. "I'm very excited to be honest, I just don't have anything to wear." The captain chuckled. "Is that all? I thought it was something more serious like he asked you to produce his heir or something." "Captain, you mustn't say things like that!" "Well it is part of being in a noble family. Why are you so worried about what you wear anyway?" the captain had returned to her less serious self as she took a bite of her breakfast. "It's just that knowing him it will be something nice and very formal and I wanted to look the part." The captain let out a deep sigh. She thought she was done dealing with nobility when she left the Soul Society, but apparently she was wrong. "If it matters that much to you I'll help. I'm on my way to finish the squad eleven transfers, find me when I get back and I'll pick out something nice for you to wear." Saya's eyes sparkled with gratitude for the older woman. "Thank you so much Captain!" Akane accepted her thanks and was on her way to collect some paperwork from a certain captain of her own desires, but not before checking in at her own office.

While looking over papers that needed signing Akane found a rather peculiar looking envelope on her was lined with gold and she recognized the seal on the back for it was one she had tried to separate herself from numerous times. She braced herself as she cautiously opened the envelope, unsure of what to expect. To her surprise it was a letter from her mother who had heard of her daughter's return to the Seireitei and requested her presence at the family estate for the weekend. The one thing the captain hated more than coming from a noble family was her family itself, other than her younger sister Asami. She was the sweetest girl imaginable, but also rather fragile. So many times did Akane think about taking her sister away from their awful family, only to realize that she didn't know what to do with her next. She slowly came to the conclusion that staying with their terrible family was perhaps best for the girl. The captain was lost in the memories she shared with her sister when she remembered that she was supposed to go meet with Kenpachi. She finished her morning business and rushed to the barracks containing the hunk of a captain.

As the woman arrived at the captain's office she found him pacing while the ink haired wonder sat watching. Surely she wasn't that late. "Hi miss scary lady!" Yachiru was the first to notice Akane walk in. the captain waved at the girl before being confronted by the man she came to see. "You're late princess." She ignored him and walked over to a window. "I got held up at the office. Besides, I'm not that late." The man gestured towards his lieutenant and she left with a disappointed look. Once the coast was clear Kenpachi walked over and wrapped his arms around the woman's waist while leaning over and biting at her neck. She resisted the urge to let out an encouraging moan by pushing the man's face away and walking to his desk. "So where's this paperwork I'm supposed to be picking up?" she asked as she rummaged around his desk, hoping he wouldn't notice the bright red tint on her face. He sighed and walked over to the desk and pulled out some papers from the top drawer. "Are these all you need?" The woman flipped through the papers, making sure that everything was in order. "Everything looks good."

The two captains stood on opposite sides of the desk in an awkward silence until Akane decided to go for it as she walked around the desk and slid her hands up over the man's shoulders in a seductive way, all while he kept a close eye on her. Her touch to him was like an ultimate aphrodisiac. One touch and all the man could think about was ravaging her like the beast he was. He turned around and pinned the vixen against the wall, crushing his lips against hers. The woman reciprocated the attack as she kissed him back fiercely. The two captains may have certain feelings for one another, but this was pure lust as their primal instincts took hold and before they knew it their tongues were wrestling for dominance while she could feel him growing harder against her. Finally, he reached the point where he couldn't take it anymore and he was going to do something about it. he began fiddling with the top of her pants with no resistance. Once they were off he pulled down his own enough that he was exposed. He lifted her up to his level and plunged into her and it drove her wild. She dug her talon like nails into his back with every thrust which only made him go harder. She wrapped her legs around his waist, causing him to go even deeper. For her, every thrust was almost orgasmic and unlike anything she had ever experienced. Of course she had plenty of fun with Jushiro, but he was too gentle and she needed more. With Kenpachi all she was getting was raw animosity, not to mention the very large cock inside her which went well with the size of the man it belonged to. It wasn't long before Akane was in such ecstasy that she gripped the man's back to the point of bleeding. Her moans were getting louder and louder until she was at the point of orgasm which was so powerful that she couldn't help but let loose a burst of spiritual energy, causing Kenpachi to release his cum deep inside her. It had been such a long time since he had felt this much pleasure from being with a woman. Part of him was completely spent, but mostly he felt like he could fuck this woman all day long and never feel the need to stop. The woman unwrapped herself from the man and pushed him down into the chair behind him. "I'm not done yet," she claimed as she climbed on top of his still rock hard member. She began riding hi, putting all the force she could into it. he moved her top to the side, exposing her luscious, well-endowed chest. He couldn't help himself as he teased one nipple with his hand and took the other breast in his mouth, leaving bite marks and dark spots, claiming them as his. She let out moan after moan while riding him up and down as she ran her finger through his hair, slightly messing up his bells. Kenpachi was so wrapped up in what the woman was doing that he failed to notice that he too was slowly leaking spirit energy. This went on for several minutes until there was a knock on the door and the two captains stopped immediately.

"Captain?" called Ikkaku from the other side of the door. "Hold on a second," replied Kenpachi as the two captains hurried to make themselves presentable. In no time the captain was at the door with his female counterpart in the chair on the opposite side of the desk. Although they were able to pull themselves together quickly, the room absolutely reeked of sex. "What is it Ikkaku?" the captain questioned as he opened the door. "I sensed your spirit energy and came to make sure everything was okay," replied the third seat, but as soon as he had a look in the room and saw the female captain he knew exactly what was going on. "Forgive me Captain, I'll be on my way," Ikkaku said as he turned to leave.

Kenpachi shut the door and walked back to the woman, an irritated look on his face. Akane stood as well as she could, her legs still writhing from the pleasure, and wrapped her arms around the man's neck. "Well I guess the fun's over for now," she said, fixing the bells she had previously messed up. "There's always tomorrow," he replied with a smirk. "Oh, about that…I received a letter from my mother this morning. She wants me to come home this weekend." "And where might home be?" Kenpachi was rather puzzled. Most of the soul reapers he knew came from the Rukon District and had no family. Akane also found herself confused as she had never until this point met anyone who hadn't heard of the great Takenouchi family. Not only were they nobility, but until her great escape they ran squad three. Even after her departure her cousin Rose took over. How Gin Ichimaru landed there afterward she had no idea. "Well, I'm from the Takenouchi family, one of the great noble clans." "Are you sure? You don't act like any noble I've ever met." Clearly the man had never met Yoruichi Shihoin. "Well, I'm not exactly like any other nobles." Akane dropped her arms to her side ands and sighed as she knew a long story was about to come out. "It's a bit complicated. In my family there are always two heirs produced, one to become head of the family and the other to become the captain of squad three. As first born I should have been the head of the family, but I had so much power that they sent me to the academy in place of my brother. Eventually I became the captain of squad eleven where my power only continued to grow exponentially and with it my bloodlust. I became such a monster that I was barely recognizable. My parents became so scared that my uncle stepped down from his position as captain of squad three so that I could switch over in hopes that it might calm me down, but not before being locked up for several years first. I've calmed down quite a bit since then, but that part of me still exists deep down." Kenpachi was actually in shock. Could this woman really be that much of a beast? Sooner or later he would need to find this out for himself. "Are you sure you wanna go? No one's making you," he said as he wrapped his arms around her tight. "Of course I don't want to go, but I really should." "Then don't go. Stay here and I'll show you a good time," he offered. "As tempting as that is, and believe me it's really tempting, there's some things I need to take care of at home." The man's grasp on her only tightened. "Then maybe I should just come with you." "That's even more tempting, especially since my mother would absolutely hate you. But I'd advise you not to make offers you're not serious about." The man just chuckled. "I wouldn't offer if I wasn't serious about it princess." The woman slipped out of his grasp and gave him a peck on the lips before making her way towards the door. "I'm leaving tomorrow as soon as I'm done in the office," she announced before walking out of the office, closing the door behind her.

Akane finished her captain duties for the day before tracking down Saya who was a nervous wreck by this point. "Saya, you'll be fine. You somehow got a date with him so he obviously likes you." Akane was doing all she could to help calm the girl, but nothing was working. That's when she got a brilliant idea. She went into her small kitchen and searched until she found the right bottle. It was the best bottle of sake in her whole collection that she saved for special occasions. She poured a small drink for the lieutenant and a larger one for herself. She gave the drink to the girl who was quite hesitant about drinking before her date, but drank it nonetheless, and waited a few minutes for her to calm down while picking out some things for her to try on. When she was ready Saya took the first outfit into the other room to try on, leaving Akane with her sake. She was about to pour another drink when there was a knock on the door.

With a sigh she put down the sake and walked to the door. To her surprise it was the very same captain she had spent that morning with. "Captain Zaraki, what brings you here?" She couldn't figure out why he'd show up unannounced at this hour other than he wanted to finish us round two from earlier. "You forgot these earlier," he said as he held up the forms that were her whole purpose for visiting him earlier. "I guess I got a little preoccupied earlier. Thank you for bringing them by, I'll deal with them in the morning. Would you like to come in for a drink?" Kenpachi nodded and followed her inside. As she poured the drinks he noticed all the clothes thrown across the room. Most of them were fine silk kimonos with some lingerie mixed in, most of which he wouldn't mind seeing her in. as she came back she noticed the puzzled look on his face and followed his gaze to the mess of clothes around the room. "Someone has a date tonight and was complaining about not having anything to wear so I told her I would help." Akane offered him a seat on the small couch as she took her place next to him. "How the hell do you have this many clothes?" the man asked as he took a drink. "Well noble families do have a lot of money and are expected to look the part. I would leave them all at home except I do my best to avoid it." It made sense to her, although she had to admit she did have a lot of clothes, especially for a soul reaper who wore a shihakusho on a daily basis. Saya emerged from the other room dressed in a purple kimono which she was going on about how she liked the color but wasn't sure about the fit. It wasn't until she asked for her captain's opinion that she noticed someone else had joined their party. "Captain Zaraki! What are you doing here?" asked the now embarrassed lieutenant. "He brought over some papers I left at his office earlier and I invited him in for a drink. Now if you don't hurry and pick one you're gonna be late. Try this one," suggested that captain as she threw a garment at the girl who immediately ran back to the other room. Akane sighed and got comfortable, just enjoying being with the man next to her. She was almost asleep when Saya came back in the room wearing the kimono suggested by her captain. It was dark blue lined with elegant white patterns. "What do you think, Captain?" The captain in question looked her up and down before a wide grin appeared on her face. "I think we have a winner! What do you think Zaraki?" He opened his eyes and glanced at the girl, nodding in approval but clearly uninterested. "You better hurry and finish getting ready or you'll be late."

Saya thanked her captain for her help before rushing back to her own room, leaving the two captains to themselves. "Who does she have a date with that she's freaking out that much about it anyway?" Kenpachi asked out of curiosity. "Byakuya Kuchiki, go figure." He looked surprised that Byakuya would have time for a date with anyone, but he didn't care enough to question it. "So what do we do now?" Akane asked. "Well as fun as this has been I need to get back before Yachiru does something drastic. Akane made a pouty face while getting off the man, causing him to chuckle. "You really miss me that much?" "Well, things are more interesting with you around." The captains stood and the woman walked him to the door. "If you're lucky maybe you'll see more of me this weekend.," he said with a smirk. "Maybe," she said with a smile as they reached the door. He turned to her and placed his hand on her cheek as he kissed her. It wasn't aggressive and filled with lust like the others had been, this one was more gentle with some feeling behind it. After a moment the two parted, but neither one moved an inch. They gazed at each other like this in silence for some time until there was a bang on the door. "Kenny! Let's gooooooo!" Kenpachi sighed, but was still reluctant to move. "You should probably go before she breaks down the door," suggested Akane as Yachiru continued to bang on the door. "You're probably right," agreed the man. He stole one last kiss before turning towards the door. "I'll see you later, Akane," he said as he walked out the door, leaving her in shock. This was the first time he had called her by her name, and she liked it. It was still a bit early in the night, but it had been an eventful day for the woman. She had one final drink while she got ready for bed, anxious for what the next day would have in store for her.


End file.
